Highschool: An Adventure
by barnes1917
Summary: Highschool was supposed to be fun, and she was sure it would be. For some people. She was not some people, of course, she was the straight A student who was often ignored or pushed around or ran into. Highschool was probably going to be hell for Ally. But boy, was she wrong. / A&A AU, multi-chapter, rated for language and later content.
1. the beginning

**_I know what you're thinking..."Another AU?!"_**

 ** _What can I say? They're fun as hell to write. Although, this is only slightly an AU..._**

 ** _ANYWAYS;_**

 ** _DC; I don't own anything._**

* * *

Ally Dawson looked at the intimidating brick building that would be her school for the next four years. There were students lounging on the front lawn, walking up the stairs to get inside, and cars pulling into the parking lot. It was busy and crowded and something she would prefer not to be in the middle of.

She was shoved to the side by a boy running to the entrance of the school, and she sighed deeply as she followed. No use in delaying the torture.

Highschool was supposed to be fun, and she was sure it would be. For _some people_. She was not some people, of course, she was the straight A student who was often ignored or pushed around or ran into. Highschool was probably going to be hell for Ally. At least her two best friends were in most of her classes this year, though.

Speaking of her best friends, Ally spotted Trish near her locker and smiled. They had close lockers this year. What a relief.

"Hey, Trish-"

"Don't even talk to me yet. I woke up almost twenty minutes late so I couldn't properly do my makeup or eat breakfast, we were out of coffee so I haven't had that this morning, plus on the way over I stepped in gum and it's still on my shoe. I mean, fucking christ, it's only the first day of highschool and I already want it to end." She grumbled as she shoved books into her bag and slammed her locker shut.

Ally bit back a grin; Trish could be so dramatic sometimes, but that's one of the things she loved about her. "I'm sorry. But hey, at least Lisa and Jenna haven't bothered us yet. If we're lucky, they won't be in any of our classes either."

Lisa had been the head cheerleader at their middle school the year before which, as cliche as it was, meant she was the most popular, meanest girl in school. Jenna was her equally as mean sidekick, although she was much smarter than her boss, as odd as that was.

Trish rolled her eyes as she slammed her locker shut. "True."

The bell rang before Ally could finish consoling her friend, and they fought their way through the bustling hallways to get to their home room. They walked in, picked two seats near the windows, and sat down.

Ally pulled out her notebook and a pencil and was laying them neatly on her desk when their teacher walked in.

"Hello, I'm Miss Holloway, and I'll be your home room and history teacher this year. Just do your best and I'm sure we'll get along fine." She sent the students a haunting smile that told them she would make their lives a living hell if they stepped out of line.

And thus, Ally's highschool life had officially started.

* * *

After their last period, Ally and Trish met at their lockers to gather items they needed before meeting Dez for pizza.

"So Lisa is in the one class that I don't have with either of you, as my luck would have it. She spent the entire time giggling and whispering and pointing at me like a total-"

Ally stopped listening to her friend's rant as her eye caught someone else's across the hall. He was leaning against the lockers opposite of theirs with his arms crossed over his chest while talking to a jock. Ally looked him over; he wore a simple black tee, jeans with a hole on the right knee and converse. When her eyes met his once more he smirked her way and then shook his head a little at the jock before walking off.

"Who was that?" Ally asked, watching him make his way through the crowded halls.

Trish cut her rant short to figure out who her friend was talking about. "That blonde guy? Oh, he's in my bio class. His name is Austin. Moved here from some country state – Alabama or Texas or Idaho or something – and I heard he just moved in next door to Lisa – or maybe it was down the street? I'm not sure. I think it's that little yellow house with the red shutters around the corner from yours."

Ally raised her eyebrows, impressed with her best friend's knowledge of their new classmate. She _was_ a social butterfly, after all, so the brunette shouldn't have been so surprised.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just wondering." Ally shrugged and zipped up her bag.

The boy seemed intriguing, but she wasn't going to waste time on someone she probably would never speak to, so Ally shut her locker and walked with Trish to Pizza Hut.

When they arrived, Dez waved them over to their usual table where a steaming half pepperoni, half sausage pizza sat on the table surrounded by their favorite sodas. Ally smiled, grateful to have such a great friend like Dez, and then her and Trish sat in the booth opposite of the redhead.

"Hey guys!" He greeted, all big smiles and excitement as per usual. "First day of highschool wasn't so bad. My art teacher is super cool and I have no homework today."

Ally laid a slice of pizza on her plate while Trish typed on her phone. "All I have is a worksheet for math and an English paper due this Thursday. Not too bad."

Conversation flowed pretty easily at their table as always, but Ally zoned out when her eyes landed on someone across the restaurant.

He was sitting alone at a table in a corner, his feet propped up on the chair across from him. His backpack was sitting on the table next to a half-eaten personal pizza and a soda. He looked up from his phone as Ally finished looking him over. She blushed when he smirked and raised a brow at her.

He abruptly got up and slung his backpack over one shoulder with one hand as the other grabbed his tray of food. He began walking towards Ally's table, and she panicked until he took a last-minute turn to a trash can and threw his stuff away. He walked out of the restaurant and never once looked back, leaving behind a very confused, very intrigued Ally.

Ally was distracted the rest of her time spent at Pizza Hut with her friends, no matter how hard she tried to focus.

* * *

 ** _Okay, Highschool AU! Not sure how long this'll be but I have the outline written out and I'm so excited! (And yes, A &A will both pursue careers in music but that's for later chapters. Right now Austin and Ally are both regular high school kids, such as myself, who have absolutely no damn clue what they're gonna do. They're just focusing on getting through these four years of hell LMAO)_**


	2. walking home

_**Chapter two! I had a really hard time with this one because this story could have gone two very different ways; country boy Austin or slightly-distant/slightly-mysterious Austin. I'm glad I chose the one that I did. Hope you do too!**_

 _ **DC; Don't own anything.**_

 _ **Read on!**_

* * *

The next day was Tuesday, which meant Dez had a film class at the rec center, Trish was watching America's Next Top Model and her dad was working late that night. Which also meant that Ally had to walk home by herself today. _Oh, joy._

She just hoped that Lisa and Jenna wouldn't find her and harass her. She was alone, so who knows what could happen if those two got to her.

She adjusted her floral backpack and trudged on in the August heat, silently thanking god that she'd have her license in a few short months.

She put on her headphones and played some music from her phone to help pass the time on her walk. A few short moments later, someone was tapping her shoulder.

Ally took her headphones off as she hesitantly turned around, ready to run for the hills if needed. Instead of a murderer or a kidnapper like she'd expected, she was relieved to see the blonde boy from the hallway, clad in a grey shirt and worn-out jeans that she suspected were the same ones he wore the previous day. His blonde hair was much messier than it had been in Pizza Hut.

"Uh, hi?"

 _Austin._ Trish said his name is _Austin._

He pursed his lips, almost awkwardly. "Erm, you dropped this back there. Looked important." He then held out a brown leather book with her name on the front; it was her song journal, the most important thing she owned.

She let out a sigh of relief, taking the book into her hands. "Oh my gosh, thank you _so much_. I don't know what I would've done if I lost this." She put the book in her bag and zipped it up to be safe before smiling up at the boy beside her. _He has really pretty hazel eyes._ "Uh, Austin, right?"

He nodded slowly, eyebrows knit together and a look of caution in his eyes. "I didn't-"

"You have biology with my best friend. The loud Latina with big hair who probably sits in the back. She mentioned you."

A look of realization crossed the blonde's face as he nodded. "Oh, Trish. Yeah."

There was an awkward beat where both teens glanced around, not sure of what to say or do next.

"I, um, didn't catch your name..?"

She smiled again, holding out her hand. "I'm Ally Dawson."

He smiled slightly, against his will might he add, as he shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Dawson."

"Ally." She corrected, doe eyes looking up at him through her thick lashes.

"Right." He adjusted his black backpack and stuffed his other hand in his pocket. "Quick question, am I heading in the right direction of Cloud lane? I feel like I took a wrong turn or something and my phone is dead so no GPS.."

She nodded right away. "Yep, you're heading that way. I actually live right around the corner from Cloud lane, so if you want, we could walk together?"

He nodded once. "Thanks."

It was a quiet walk for a bit when she was deciding on how to break the silence, but luckily for her, Austin spoke up first.

"So, you from around here?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I actually grew up here. I could walk this town blindfolded, probably." She let out an airy laugh, knowing good and well that she could. "And yourself?"

He hesitated, eyes searching her own - _but for what?_ He seemed to find whatever it was he was looking for in Ally, and finally spoke, quietly, curtly.

"I'm from a small town in Texas."

"Really? Man, I would love to see Texas. I bet the sky is so big you can see every little star out there.."

"You can. When you're not in a city." He said, shrugging. Then he turned to her, eyes serious. "Can you not, uhm, mention that around anyone, though?"

She raised an eyebrow, but decided not to question the blonde. "Sure."

"Thanks."

Ally noticed they were in front of her house now, and stopped walking. "Well, this is my stop. To get to Cloud just go down another block and take a right." She instructed as she dug her keys out of her pocket.

He repeated her instructions in hopes of remembering them correctly before nodding and stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. "Thanks. Again."

"You're welcome." She smiled, tilting her head up slightly to look at him due to their height difference.

He couldn't help but let his eyes linger on her face for a moment longer than acceptable; he wasn't going to lie, she was gorgeous. Her big brown eyes screamed innocence, her hair reflected the sunlight perfectly and her bright smile made him feel the way a good live guitar solo did; wildly alive.

And despite the promise he made to stay away from girls after the last one he got involved with, he had a sneaking suspicion that he would be seeing a lot more of this tiny brunette and her beautiful smile.

She looked down as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The way Austin was looking at her made her blush, but she wasn't sure why so she ignored it.

He coughed, forcing himself to look away. "See you around, Dawson."

" _Ally_." She corrected with an eye roll, albeit biting back a smile.

"Yeah, sorry."

She nodded before walking up to her front door and unlocking it. She waved at the blonde before shutting the door. She peeked out the window to see him stare at her house and shake his head slightly before walking away, towards his house.

The way he had looked at her just minutes ago...she wasn't sure why, but she hadn't wanted him to stop. It made her feel like she was on a roller coaster, right before the big drop. And she liked the rush.

She doesn't _like him-like him_ , no, she doesn't even know him well enough to like him that way. But she does have a strong feeling that she'll probably be seeing more of the blonde with pretty hazel eyes sometime soon.

She sighed, attempting to push the blonde out of her mind and setting out her homework. It was time to focus.


	3. grocery trips

On Friday night, Ally's father told her that he had invited some neighbors over for dinner and had seemed pretty excited about it.

"Dad, please tell me it's not Old Lady Jenkins from across the street! She always carries around a fake crow and yells at trees. She scares me." The brunette said, eyes wide. And it was true, Old Lady Jenkins was a widow who was completely sane, save for the fact that she carries around fake birds and yells at plants. No one knows why.

"No, it's, um, Mike something. I can't remember his last name, it has something to do with outer space though." Lester said as he frantically tidied up the living room. Ally watched her father, an eyebrow raised. "Oh! I need you to go to the store and get some sodas. We're all out." He took out a twenty dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to Ally before finishing with his cleaning.

"Alright. I'll be back soon." She kissed her father's cheek before grabbing her purse and getting bike from the garage. She hopped on her bike and rode to the grocery store.

She arrived at the store in no time, and headed straight towards the soda isle.

She had to pass the bakery section on her way over, and ran into a very confused blonde - _Austin_ , she reminded herself - looking at the various ready-to-bake pies and cakes.

"Hey," she greeted, smiling up at him.

Austin turned around, startled until he saw it was her. He seemed to relax, relieved almost. "Hi. Um this is sort of a weird question, but what kind of pie does your dad like? I'm not really a pie person so I'm not sure what's good and what isn't."

She raised an eyebrow at him, and he knew she was wondering why on earth he was asking.

"My mom used to bake a pie when we'd have dinner at the neighbors so my dad sent me to the store." He explained, and saw the realization set in.

"Oh! You're the neighbors coming over tonight?"

When he nodded, she pointed out her dad's favorite pie; peach.

"That's his favorite."

"Thanks." He said, putting the pie in his basket, next to some bread and fruits.

"You're welcome." She replied. "Actually, I'm here buying some soda for tonight. You want to help pick some out...maybe?"

The blonde nodded, smiling slightly. "Sure."

They walked three isles over, to the isle with sodas and juices, and picked out two different sodas; coke and orange soda. The pair then headed to the checkout area together.

"So did you drive here, or..?" Austin asked as he placed his items on the conveyor belt.

"I rode my bike, actually. I can't get my license for like three more months, so.." The brunette shrugged and helped him load up the conveyor belt.

"Well, um, do you want a ride home? I mean it's so hot outside and I'm in my dad's truck and we can fit a bike in the back pretty easily.."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose or anything."

"Yeah, yeah, it's no problem. I'm just giving you a ride home, Dawson, it's not like I'm giving you a ride to New York." He laughed slightly, then raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

"Sure. Thank you."

"It's no problem." He repeated before turning to the cashier to pay for his things.

She smiled, silently thanking God that she wouldn't have to ride her bike back home in the hot Miami sun before setting her items on the conveyor belt.

After she paid for the soda, they went outside and Austin loaded their things into the backseat of the cab while Ally went to retrieve her bike from the bike rack in front of the store. She rode it to him and he lifted it with ease into the bed of the truck, then they got in.

"Austin?"

He hummed to let her know he was listening. He put the truck in reverse and began to back out of the parking spot.

"You said your mom used to make pies, so is she not coming to dinner?"

The truck stopped suddenly and he looked at her, as if searching for something in her eyes again. He sighed. "My mom, um, passed away two years ago. C-Cancer."

The way he'd said it so softly, the way his eyes lost their sparkle for the moment it took to say what he did, the way he bit down on his bottom lip after the words tumbled out of his mouth...it all gave Ally the biggest urge to hug him until he didn't hurt anymore. But, you simply can't do that to a near-stranger, so she settled for putting her hand over his in a comforting way.

"I'm so sorry. That's terrible."

"Yeah." He said on a sigh. "But don't, you know, tell people, okay? This town is my restart; new state, new life. I don't want people taking pity on me. That-That's why we left Texas."

When she nodded, big eyes growing serious, Austin allowed himself to smile a little in appreciation before backing the truck up and pulling out of the grocery store parking lot.

"So, my dad said its just you and yours. Mind if I ask what happened to your mom?" He spoke, quirking an eyebrow up as he stopped at a red light.

"My parents split when I was seven. My mom left six months ago to go study animals in Africa for her book." She explained with a shrug, as if it were no big deal.

"Ah. Impressive, Dawson."

"It's _Ally_!"

He just chuckled and the rest of the ride was pretty quiet. When they arrived at her house, he unloaded her bike as she grabbed her groceries.

"I'll see you in a few, right?" He asked, leaning her bike against her porch.

"Yeah, I'll be at dinner." Ally said, grabbing her keys from her pocket. "Just make sure and put the pie in the oven for ten minutes, okay?"

"Right." He said with a laugh, and they both knew that if she hadn't said that, they'd be eating cold, mushy pie for dessert.

* * *

 _ **I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. I just couldn't get the grocery store part or the car ride to sound right and my close friend's family member got arrested and things got hectic so I didn't have much time to write lol. Things have calmed down a bit now.**_

 _ **ALSO, the next chapter will be the dinner but I think there will be a little time skip afterwards, because if not this will be a day by day story and some of the chapters will be really short. If you guys are okay with some chapters being short, I can do the day by day thing, though. Any opinions? I'm writing this for the readers, because without readers I'm not really an author. So let me know please!**_

 _ **-D**_


	4. friday night dinner

Ally heard the doorbell chime just as she finished freshening up her makeup. She smiled as she went downstairs, eager to greet the blonde she's so recently aquatinted herself with and his father.

"Hello, Mr. Dawson. It's nice to meet you." She heard Austin say as she descended the stairs in time to see her father and him shaking hands. Austin was clad in relaxed jeans, converse and a plaid button down over a white tee. A tall man in a polo and khakis with light grey hair was standing behind Austin, presumably his father.

"A boy with manners? I like it!" Lester stated, letting go of Austin's hand.

"Oh, um also, we brought you a pie." The young blonde handed over the pie he'd bought earlier, grinning to himself for a brief moment.

Lester grinned happily as he took the dessert in his hands, already smelling the warm peaches. His mouth watered in anticipation of digging into the delicious dessert. "Ooh, my favorite."

He noticed Ally walking down the stairs and tore his attention away from the pie and focused on the Moons. "Austin, Mike, this is my daughter-" He began, grinning proudly, only to be cut off.

"Hey, Dawson." Austin smiled at her, one that made something in her chest flutter, and she grinned back.

"Hi."

"Well, I guess you two have met." Lester chuckled, albeit carefully watching the teenagers' exchange. The way they were looking at each other made him nervous.

"Well, shall we eat?"

"So, Austin, I hear you're quite the baseball star?" Lester questioned the teenager, then took a big bite of warm peach pie. Everyone at the table could see how happy the dessert made him.

"Yes sir," Austin said, nodding politely. "I've been playing since I was nine, I was team captain back home, and I won us the state championship last year."

"Impressive." Ally said, eyebrows raised. He just shrugged, a smug grin on his face; he knew he was good and had no shame in hiding it.

"What positions do you play?" Lester asked, taking another big bite of pie.

"Well, I kind of play them all. Pitcher and first base are my favorites though." The young blonde admitted with a grin.

"Marino High has a great baseball team, but they really need a good pitcher. You thinking of joining?" Lester asked, raising his eyebrows.

Austin let out a breath that was halfway a laugh. "Um, I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking of taking a year off, you know, to get adjusted and everything." He briefly glanced at his father across the table.

Mike Moon laughed, shaking his head. "I keep telling him that he should join the team. I'm college buddies with the coach; said he reserved a spot for Austin and everything."

"Yeah, Austin," Ally began with a smile that was mostly teasing. "You should join the baseball team. The games are great. And Gavin — you know, that guy you spoke to in the hallway? — he's on the team."

She didn't miss the playful glare he sent her way before trying to change the subject, avoiding Lester's inquiries of his future baseball career.

After dessert, Austin offered to help Ally clear the table while their dads went into the living room to watch the end of a golf game and have a drink.

"So, mister baseball star, if you love the sport so much, why take a year off?" Ally asked as they cleared the tableware.

The blonde boy shrugged, his mouth skidding to the side. He balanced a bowl on top of a plate. "I dunno. The guys on the Manatees seem, well..."

"Like major jerks who deserve a kick in the stomach?" She snorted, scraping food off of one plate and onto another.

He couldn't help a little chuckle. "Yeah. Sounds like Dawson has some issues with the baseball team."

"It's Ally!" She explained, exasperated albeit the grin on her face. "And I actually do. Elliot — he plays third base — and I used to be good friends but last year he ditched me for the guys on the baseball team and then told them all lies about me. It was terrible." She shook her head, then studied the boy beside her. "If you join, you won't be like them, right?"

He smirked, raising his eyebrow as he picked up a cup. "How do you know how I am? You barely even know me. I could be a rapist or like, a major jerk."

She rolled her eyes once more, giving him a pointed look as she stacked plates. " _Please_ , you're the kind of guy who offers to drive a girl home so she doesn't have to ride her bike in the heat, even though her house is like, two streets over. You're a good guy. Cocky, maybe, but good."

"Thanks, Dawson." He had an unreadable look on his face, searching her eyes like he had before. "You're not too bad yourself."

She smiled at him before going back to clearing the table.

The pair finished with the dishes and they went to sit on a bench on the back porch, not too close but not too far apart.

It was quiet for a while, a comfortable silence. Ally was off in her own world, thinking about her songwriting and avoiding thoughts of the blonde beside her. Austin was admiring the cricket noises and how they reminded him of home, and then his mind wandered to the life of the beautiful brunette beside him. Austin was the first to break the silence.

"Do you ever miss your mom?"

She turned her head to look at him, eyebrows scrunched together in utter confusion. "Yeah, every time she leaves. Why?"

He paused for a brief moment to collect his thoughts. "I know this is a weird question, but...what's it feel like?"

"You don't know what it's like to miss someone?"

He shrugged. "I forget what it's like to _really_ miss people."

"What do you mean? Don't you miss your mom?" She turned her body in his direction now, eyes fixated on his face.

He shrugged, chewing on his bottom lip. "I don't know...well, yes, but most of the time I'm not consciously thinking about her so I don't _miss her, miss her_. I've always felt like she's still here with me, I guess." He inhaled deeply, eyes focused on something far off — like a memory. "I forget what it's like to miss her. Like _really,_ _really_ miss her."

Ally put her hand over his to get him to look at her. "I know you said you didn't want sympathy, but I really am sorry. I bet she was a great mom."

He smiled slightly, sadly. "She was."

She smiled softly, gently squeezing his hand as a comforting gesture.

He was quiet for few seconds, when suddenly his eyes lit up at something in her backyard and he gasped. "No way! You guys have lightning bugs here too?!" He pointed to a few little greenish-yellow lights hovering a few feet ahead of them. "I haven't seen any since I left Texas!"

"Oh, yeah. They're usually only out when it's really dark and not so hot." She explained, watching as he got up to catch one. The excited look on his face when he finally caught one was so adorable that she couldn't help but grin. He looked like a puppy whose owner finally came home after a long day. Thoughts of his late mother were long gone, Ally realized. _This boy is like a child._

"Man, I miss catching these." He uttered, slowly opening his hand to free the little insect. He watched it fly away, its light blinking like morse code. "Bye Jimmy."

"Jimmy, huh?" She smirked a little, standing up from her position on the swing. "As in Hendrix?"

"Yes, as in Hendrix. You judging my choice in names?" He asked, a playful glint in his eyes.

She shrugged, leaning on the railing of her porch as she looked up at him with the same playful look in her eyes. "Oh no, no. Of course not. Jimmy Hendrix is only the greatest ever."


	5. the back to school dance

**Hey hey hey! Finally a new chapter, lmao. I'm sorry about the slow updates, but I'm really horrible at updating chapter fics. I really am more of a one-shot/two-shot kinda girl. BUT, I have really good plans for this fic so I'm going to make myself finish this! The next chapter is already almost done and the next is already planned out, so hopefully there won't be as much of a wait as in the past.**

 **Also, even though I'm the one who is freakin writing this fic, I'm loving the way Aussly's friendship is developing so far. It was going to either take a long time to develop or they'd hit it right off the bat, and I'm glad I chose the latter. its more fun to write.**

 **Anyways, read on! I hope you enjoy. :)**

 **DC; I do not own anything but the plot!**

—

* * *

—

Ally Dawson isn't a fan of school dances, especially the back-to-school kind. In fact, she finds the whole ordeal pretty stupid as she's not much of a dancer and big crowds make her nervous. It was a pointless dance, anyways, as it just celebrated being back at school; which was something she didn't even like, much less something she cares enough about to celebrate. Plus, Elliot and the rest of the jerks on the baseball team would be there to pick on anyone who wasn't in their posse, and that was just not appealing to her. She's gotten picked on by them enough by now.

So she hadn't planned on going. Why would she go and be stuck in a packed gymnasium with Elliot and his baseball friends, sitting alone at a table while Dez danced all night and Trish made her social rounds, when she could stay home and watch Netflix or read? The latter sounded much more her style.

But on the night of the back to school dance, by some miracle, she decided to attend the pointless event with her friends and attempt to have at least a little fun. Even if Elliot was going to be there and she hated being in such a packed place. She couldn't live her whole life in the shadows because of him or her shyness. Like her mother often said, it wasn't fair to her.

She called her best friends last minute to ask for a ride, and Dez said he'd gladly pick her up after Trish. (Currently, he was the only one in their friend group with a license.)

As she was getting into Dez's father's Jeep, she glanced down the road in Austin's direction. They had spent a lot of time together over the last two weeks since their dinner together, and she just realized she had no clue if he was even going to the dance. It never came up, so she never asked about it.

She didn't want him to _not_ be there...

"Wait...do you guys mind if I invite Austin? I mean he's new in school and I just-"

"Yeah, go head, but hurry up! I wanna beat Jenna and Lisa to the dance." Trish cut her off, applying a fresh coat of lipgloss in the front seat.

"I'll call him."

"Where does he live? Might as well head in that direction." Dez said, putting the jeep in reverse to back out of Ally's driveway. Only two weeks into knowing Austin and Dez could already see that the blonde was wrapped around Ally's little finger whether he knew it or not. So of course he'd say yes to going to the dance.

"On Cloud lane. Big yellow house." She stated, buckling herself into the vehicle before Dez started driving.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Austin's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Ally?" He mumbled, voice soft as if he had been asleep.

"Hey, Austin. So, I'm going to the back to school dance with Trish and Dez and um, I – well _we_ – we wanted to know if you wanted to tag along? The theme is like, semi-formal so it's not like you'll need a tux or a super nice suit or anything, and I probably won't stay the whole night, but–"

"Ally, you're babbling." Trish said in a hushed tone, looking at the brunette through the mirror in her hands. "Get to the point. Cloud lane is the next street."

"Shoot, sorry. Anyways, we're about to pass your street and I was just calling to see if you were going or if you, you know, needed a ride or whatever?"

"How close are you?" Austin asked, words rushed and a rustling noise coming from his line.

"Uh, like a street over?"

"Gimme five minutes. Knock when you get here." With that, he hung up, and Ally directed Dez to Austin's house.

When they pulled up to the big yellow house four minutes later, Ally scurried up to the large wooden door and hesitantly knocked. She heard someone stumbling down the stairs and the door opened not even three seconds later. She glanced over his outfit; blue button down shirt rolled up to his elbows, dark jeans, black high-tops. _The boy cleans up good_. However, she blushed when she realized they matched without even trying to.

"Hey." Austin glanced over her blue dress and black heels, his cheeks turning a nice shade of pink as well. "Shit. I-I didn't mean to-I didn't know-"

"It's fine. Let's g-" She giggled suddenly as she finally saw his wild, unkempt hair, which made him blush down to his toes as he let out an embarrassed chuckle.

"Fuck. I forgot about it. I-I was asleep before you called and-and uh-" He ran a nervous hand through his hair, only to make it worse.

"I'll help you fix it in the car. Come on!" She laughed and grabbed his hand to pull him to the worn-out jeep her best friend was driving, and all he could do was ignore the goosebumps rolling up his arm as he followed her.

" _What the hell_ is wrong with his hair?"

—

* * *

—

They arrive at the school gym in no time and it's packed to the rafters. Ally can feel the temperature rising by the minute; she'll have to take a breather soon or run the risk of a panic-attack. Darn her shyness and anti-social ways.

But the good news is that she hasn't spotted Elliot yet. Hopefully he'll leave her alone for the night. _A girl can dream._

"I'm gonna go grab a drink." Austin uttered in Ally's ear before disappearing into the crowd.

"Let's go dance!" Trish shouts, dragging Ally onto the dance floor with Dez trailing behind them.

Soon enough, the three of them are prancing and moving to the music, completely lost in the upbeat pop tune. After two songs, a smiling, out-of-breath Ally spots Elliot watching her and all kinds of bad memories and flashbacks resurface in her mind, and it makes her stomach churn and her head spin. _And she_ _was just starting to enjoy herself_.

She tells Trish she's going to get a drink, but really it's just her excuse to get away from Elliot. She walks to the refreshment table on the other end of the gym, grabs a cup and pours some punch in it. After smelling alcohol in the liquid, she realizes it's been spiked and sets the cup down with a scrunch of her nose. _Teenagers_.

She sighed and decided to walk out into the hallway to drink from the nearest water fountain. It would give her a few minutes to herself, which she felt she desperately needed. She took a few long sips of cool water, then leaned her back against the wall to take a little break from the packed gym and Elliot. She heard footsteps growing closer and looked up to see a familiar face.

"Hey. You okay?"

She forced a smile and nodded up at Austin. "Yeah. Just...just needed a little breather. What are you doing?"

"I didn't see you in the gym and I just wanted to check on you." He mumbled, walking closer to the brunette so he could lean on the wall next to her. He stuffed his hands in his pocket and looked at her carefully. "I saw Elliot. He was watching you."

"Yeah, he, uh, he does that." She let out a nervous laugh, glancing down the hall at the gymnasium with a drop of worry in her eyes. "A lot."

Truth was, Elliot had been creeping her out since she started hanging around with Austin. He would drive past her house at all hours of the day, watch her in the hallways and call her at weird times. She was starting to worry for her safety.

But she didn't want to tell Austin that and scare him away — she liked having him around more than she'd like to admit — so she kept it to herself.

"You shouldn't let that shithead get to you, you know?"

"...what?"

"You should march back into the gym and act like he doesn't exist. You should dance with your friends and let loose and just have some fucking fun." He let a light smile dance onto his lips. "And if he harasses you, I'll beat the shit out of him. Boy-scout's honor." He held his hand up, and the moment made Ally grin from ear to ear as she rolled her eyes fondly.

No one had ever said anything like that to her except Trish. No one ever offered to protect her before. But Austin, this boy she's known for not even a month, has just promised to beat someone up if they messed with her. And it had her blushing, smiling, and her heart beating right out of her chest.

"You would not."

"You doubting me?" He raised a challenging eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

She felt her smile grow, if that was possible. "No, Moon, I'm not doubting you." Then she paused, blinked and looked up at Austin. "You were a boy-scout?"

He rolled his eyes this time, trying to hide his smile. "Ally. Not the point."

"You're right." She bit her lip as she felt the nerves bubble up in her stomach once again. "I'll go in if you go with me. Help distract me."

He immediately nodded, holding his arm out for her to loop her own in. "Of course. Shall we?"

"We shall." She said on a sigh, nodding once before looping her arm in his. They made their way to the gym together, going straight to the dance floor.

To ensure that Elliot stayed away, Austin stayed with Ally the whole night; he had her laughing and dancing her butt off and for the first time in forever, she felt _free_. She grinned as Austin moon-walked, laughed when he started to spin her around the dance floor, and when he dipped her at the end of her favorite song, all smiles and out of breath and wild hair, the look in his eyes made her heart dance in her chest. That night was the best she'd had in a long time.

—

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 **So, yay or nay? Remember, reviews make authors happy and make us update faster ;)**


	6. the ferris wheel

**_Hey there! I know it's been FOREVER since I updated this or posted anything and I'm so so sorry but life got hectic and I ran into a few problems I had to sort out. Hope you all are still excited for this chapter. The next one should have more Trish and Dez. Plus a Destin scene I'm SO excited about! I have so many places I want this story to go but I'm a junior in high school so just...bear with me, okay? Stick with this story and I pro miss you'll end up loving it. Please, just trust me on this._**

 ** _Disclaimer; If I owned this shit, it would have like twenty more seasons, okay?_**

* * *

It's been three weeks since homecoming, and Austin and Ally have spent almost every waking moment together since then. They talked in the halls between classes, walked to Ally's house together after hanging out with Trish and Dez after school, and every Wednesday through Friday they did their homework together. In a very short amount of time, they have become nearly inseparable.

Neither would admit it, but the two felt a strange connection to each other. Whether it was just a really good friendship budding or a possible romance, they weren't sure. They didn't really care.

But they weren't really thinking of this at the moment, as they were focusing on getting their homework done so their weekend would be free.

He was sprawled out on the floor of the brunette's bedroom, sheets of homework and school books scattered around him like a hurricane. She was sitting upright on her bed with all of her schoolwork and books stacked neatly to her right.

"What'd you get for question thirty six, Dawson?" Asked Austin, scratching behind his ear with a blue pen. When she gave him her " _that's not my name_ " look, he corrected himself with a roll of his eyes. "I mean _Ally_."

Semi-satisfied with his correction, she glanced over her own homework, brows furrowing as she realized something. She looked to the blonde on her floor. "There is no question thirty six..."

He frowned, pouting slightly. "Yeah, there is. We're doing Bio right?"

She laughed with a shake of her head, and he was _oh-so_ mesmerized by the way her brown waves bounced around and her laugh filled him with the warmth of a sunny day. He coughed as he averted his eyes back at his homework.

 _He's gotta stop being so god damn obvious._

"No. We're doing the twenty question worksheet for math, Austin."

"Ohhh! That's why you kept giving me number answers!" He shouted, slightly chuckling. "Well shit. I'm so going to fail this bio thing."

"No, you aren't, I won't let you." She laughed again and plucked the paper out of his hand to glance over it. It was a disaster.

"You're stuck here until you fix it."

He just scoffed, as if it were that big of an inconvenience to be stuck with the brunette. And _really_ , it wasn't. In fact he didn't mind it at all. He would be here until his curfew anyways.

"Okay? So?"

"So," she began, her glossy pink lips forming a smirk. "You'll miss the season finale of Jet Danger: Secret Spy and I'll go online and read _all_ the spoilers to you."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, although she couldn't help but think he looked like an angry two year old. "You wouldn't dare..."

"Our cable's out until Monday. You're stuck here. You have two hours to finish that and get home in time to watch it, Moon." With that, she returned his paper and went back to her own homework.

An hour later he hands her his biology homework, eyes wide with panic. "DONE. ALLY, I'M DONE."

She glances over his answers, taking her sweet time to ensure that he'll get at least a B. Smiling in approval, she hands him the paper. "That's worthy of a B minus. You are free to go."

He scrambles to his feet and rushes out of her room, shouting a quick goodbye to her when he reached the bottom of the stairs. She heard him slam her front door and run down the sidewalk and she laughed with a shake of her head. _This boy is such a child._

Ally finished her homework and by eight thirty Austin was back and knocking on her door.

"How was Jet Danger: Secret Spy?" She asked as she let him into her house.

He sighed, ran a hand through his already-mussed up hair and shook his head. "Intense, Dawson, intense."

She raised her eyebrows at him as they sat on her couch. "Who died?"

"Alexandria, his assistant who was actually an undercover double agent. She was always such a bitch, I'm glad she's gone." He let out a heavy sigh as he relaxed against the couch.

Not even two seconds later he turned towards her, an easy smile on his lips. "Hey, you wanna go do something?"

"I don't know.."

"Come on, Ally! It's Friday night and I'm bored!" He whined, then gave her his best puppy dog pout.

She tried resisting the pout, she really did, but it was just _too_ cute.

" _Fine_. What did you have in mind?"

"We could go to a movie? Go grab ice cream? I still don't really know what there is to do here except go to the beach." He shrugged as Ally began thinking of what they could do.

"Wait! What about the pier?!" He shouted suddenly, eyes lit up like a child in a candy store. "It looks so big and like so much fun and I haven't been yet."

"The pier?" She wondered out loud, uneasiness evident in her voice. She hasn't been there since her fourteenth birthday with Trish, Dez and... _Elliot_.

"Yeah. Is that okay? Is it shitty?" He asked, growing concerned when he saw something made her uncomfortable. He realized she had the _'but Elliot..'_ look in her eyes and softened his voice. "We don't _have_ to go, you know. It-It was just a suggestion."

She had to remind herself that Elliot _probably_ won't even be there, and even if he was, Austin would _probably_ understand her desire to leave. He was always so attentive and respectful of her feelings. So...why not go? She can't avoid going _everywhere_ just because of that heartless demon, as Austin likes to call him.

"No, no. It-It's really fun. We should go. Just let me grab some cash and shoes and I'll be ready."

"Okay." He smiled at her and she smiled back before bounding up the stairs to put on her favorite pair of converse.

As she skipped down the stairs she heard her father come through the front door. "Hey Dad!"

"Ally!" He grinned, enveloping her in a bear hug.

"Hi, Mr. Dawson." Austin said, politely smiling as he got up to shake the man's hand.

"Austin. Always nice to see you." He took Austin's hand in his own, admiring the boy's firm handshake as usual.

He was used to Austin being around Ally by now, but he still worried. Not only because of the Elliot situation, but because no matter how polite and respectful Austin was, he was still a teenage boy. And Lester knew _all about_ teenage boys.

"You too, Mr. Dawson." The blonde looked to Ally now, eyebrows raised. "Ready? We can walk to my house to pick up the truck, if you want."

Ally nodded. "Sounds good. Bye, dad." She leaned over to kiss her dad's cheek but he stopped her.

"Going somewhere?" Lester questioned, suddenly very suspicious and resembling a papa bear. This seemed awfully like a date to him.

Ally, now realizing how the situation could be interpreted, laughed nervously. She didn't need her dad on her case about a boy she wasn't dating. ( _Did she even want to date Austin?_ )

(... _possibly_.)

( _But for now, they were just friends_.)

"Austin and I are gonna meet Trish and Dez at the pier. That's all, dad. It's very _friendly_." She put emphasis on the last part to get her point across to her dad, who seemed to get it.

His puffed out chest deflated with a heavy sigh. "Okay. Be home by eleven."

With that, Ally pulled a very confused (and slightly disappointed, though he wasn't willing to admit that) Austin out the front door.

"I'm sorry about that. My dad would've flipped out if he thought this was a date." She explained, adjusting her purse strap as they walked down the sidewalk.

"Are we really meeting them...?"

He'd be lying if he said he wanted Trish and Dez to be there. Did he like them? Of course. Did they all have fun together? Definitely.

But Austin wanted to hang out with _just_ Ally on this particular Friday night. He wanted to eat some cotton candy, ride the Ferris wheel and win her a big ol' stuffed animal. He wanted it to feel like a date without actually calling it one, because that would make it too scary. Sure, he liked her, but he didn't have the confidence to tell her so. And even if by some miracle he found said confidence, he could never date her, because dating leads to falling in love and falling in love leads to heartbreak, and Austin Moon just can't have a broken heart _and_ lose his newfound best friend all in one swing. That wouldn't do. His world might just crumble.

"Nah. Trish has a date and Dez has a club meeting." Ally shrugged, balancing on the curb as she walked. Austin smiled, admiring the way her tongue poked out of her mouth in concentration, the way her nose scrunched with mild frustration when she'd nearly fall.

 _She was just so damn cute._

He looked away before she could see him staring.

"Ah, okay."

He paused, realization setting in.

"Wait, did you just _lie_? To your _dad_?" He asked, surprise dripping from every word.

 _Ally Dawson, goodie-two-shoes-extraordinaire, lying? And to her parent, nonetheless?_

She rolled her eyes, a sly smile hidden behind the curls falling in her face. "Maybe, maybe not. I'll deny it if ever questioned."

"Okay, that's fair. Wouldn't want to tarnish your flawless rep." Austin teased as he gently elbowed her side, causing her wobble off of the curb and into the grass.

She glared up at him. "Shut up."

"Dawson, you're not scary. You're like a...a bunny."

"At least I know you think I'm cute."

Austin felt a nervous laugh bubble up in his chest so he covered it up with a forced one. "Ha, yeah, okay."

She just grinned, knowing she had him right where she wanted him.

When they got to his house, Austin ran inside to grab the keys and tell his dad he'd be home late. He walked back to the truck and opened Ally's door for her, ( _because it gets stuck sometimes_ , is always his excuse) and they were at the pier in no time.

"Oh my god, this is so much better than the county fair back home." He mumbled, all wide eyes and excitement as they walked up to the pier. She grinned at him, giggling slightly at how ( _adorably_ ) childlike he was.

"Hi, can we get two wristbands for unlimited rides and fifty tickets for games?" Ally asked the cashier, reaching in her pocket to grab some cash.

"That'll be twenty bucks even." The woman grunted, obviously irritated with her job.

"I got it, Dawson." Austin said, digging in his own pocket to grab his wallet. He was a gentleman, after all, and he was _not_ about to let Ally think otherwise.

"No, it's on the local." She smiled as she handed the woman a twenty before he could pull out any cash. " _But_ , you can buy me a funnel cake before we leave."

He laughed slightly as he stuck his hand on the counter for the woman to put his wristband on. "Okay, okay. Deal."

The woman put her wristband on and then handed them a wad of fifty tickets, and they excitedly walked into bright lights, loud music, mechanical whirs and laughter.

"What first?"

"ROLLAR COASTER." Austin gasped, grabbing her hand and yanking her towards one of the few roller coasters on the large pier. It wasn't anything extreme, just a big circle of ups and downs.

They got in line and when it was time for them to board the ride, Ally suddenly realized she was terrified.

"Austin...maybe we should go play some games first..." She said warily, glancing up at the tallest part of the coaster. She wasn't sure it looked too safe, and it definitely didn't _sound_ safe – what with all that _creaking_ and _groaning_ and _was it just **swaying?!**_ – and she didn't really _know_ the person who built it, and _what if they missed a screw or a bolt and it just comes crumbling to the ground as they_ -

"Ally, you can do this. It's like, a kiddie coaster." The blonde tried to offer comfort, his voice soft but still humorous.

She let out a sound of uncertainty.

"Are you kids riding the damn coaster or not?" The carney man nearly shouted, glowering at the two teenagers before him.

When she just looked up at the tallest part of the ride again, Austin looked at the guy. "Give us one second." And then he turned to Ally, speaking in a much softer tone. "Hey. I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't wanna do, you know this by now. But I still think you should ride the rollercoaster. You could love it. Plus, I'll be right there by you, and you can even hold my hand and squeeze it as hard as you need to."

The brunette took in a deep breath, looking up at the coaster one last time before nodding her head. "Okay. Let's do this."

"Hell yeah!" Austin shouted, obviously ecstatic, and practically dragged her behind him to their seats.

They got the front of the cart, to Austin's pure joy, and buckled themselves in. Ally made sure her seatbelt was as tight and secure as possible.

He held out his hand. "You want it?"

She looked grateful when she laced her fingers in his. She already had a death grip on his hand and the ride hadn't even started yet. Despite her death grip, he decided he liked the way her hand felt in his.

"You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

He wasn't sure whether to comfort her or laugh at how adorable she was when she was scared, and he was glad the ride started before he had to make a decision.

It was a blur of brown curls slapping against his left cheek, Ally's screams, a painful grip on his hand, and the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you fall. All in all, it was fun.

"Okay...that wasn't so bad." Ally admitted with a shy grin as Austin helped her off the ride. She was genuinely surprised she liked the coaster.

"See? If you had chickened out then you wouldn't have had so much fun!" He said, punctuating his sentence with a light laugh.

"You're right, you're right." She said, running a hand through her wild tresses. "But now I'm gonna beat your butt at ring toss." She smirked up at the blonde, whose eyes narrowed challengingly.

"You're _so_ on."

When she did beat him, he graciously accepted the gigantic stuffed giraffe she won, and promptly named him Greg, short for Gregory.

 _Not one for traditional things, this girl_ , Austin thought as he gripped the dolphin under one arm, slinging the other over Ally's shoulders in a way that was meant to be friendly.

She tried her best not to blush.

"Now what?"

"Ferris wheel!" Ally shouted, pointing to the large attraction at the end of the pier.

He grinned, and off they went to the Ferris wheel. The line was long, but their wait was worth it as the pair was lucky enough to stop at the top of the ride, overlooking the ocean and city lights in the distance.

Austin glanced over the ocean before his eyes landed on the brunette. He knew it was cliche, but he couldn't help but think _God damn, she's beautiful._

Her cheeks grew pink as she felt him staring at her.

"What? Do I-I have something on my face?" She stuttered out, hand rubbing at her right cheek.

"No, Dawson," he chuckled, gently pushing her hand away from her face. "I just...got lost in my thoughts." He easily lied, turning back to the ocean.

"Hey, Austin?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something – something crazy and bad, but top secret?" She was fidgeting with her hair, eyes looking at _anything_ but Austin.

"Of course, Dawson. I know you haven't known me very long, but you really are my best friend. You can tell me anything." He replied, voice heavy with sincerity. He wrapped an arm around her in a comforting way, ignoring the way her skin set his on fire.

"Elliot...he-he didn't just abandon me for the popular guys."

He could barely hear her over the roar of the crowd and the waves crashing below them, but he knew this was bad by the way her fingers tugged at the ends of her tresses, the way her eyes were big and fearful.

"Well what else did he do? Did he hurt you?" He narrowed his eyes, anger bubbling up in his chest as he thought of different scenarios that could've happened, might've happened. Austin already thought Elliot was a piece of shit for abandoning the ray of sunshine that is Ally Dawson, but if he did anything worse than that, the blonde might just lose it on him.

"He...t-tried to make me do... _things_. Like...um, sexual things, as a d-dare from the baseball jerks." Her voice was uneven and patchy, eyes focused on a star above them in an attempt to keep her tears from falling.

Her sentence knocked he wind out of Austin. For a millisecond, all he wanted to do was to punch Elliot as hard as he could, but he was currently fifty feet in the air so he settled for clenching his jaw so hard he could hear his teeth grinding together.

"What...the fuck? _What the fuck is wrong with him?_ " was all he could say without yelling.

He can't yell right now, he has no right. It's not Ally's fault her former friend was an entitled asshole. She's vulnerable as ever right now, and all he needs to do right now is comfort her.

She shrugged, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand.

"I-It was a long time ago, and I never actually did anything. He didn't hurt me - at least not physically. He just said we did all those things so the baseball team would accept him."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could someone do that to Ally, this literal angel? Austin couldn't find a damn reason not to jump off the Ferris wheel and find Elliot so he could kick his ass. The only things stopping him were the fact that he couldn't leave Ally behind in tears or go home via cop car. His dad would have a fit.

"You're probably wondering why I told you this, but I figured it was time you knew why I avoid him everywhere I go." She muttered, glancing from Austin to her lap. "I just wanted you to understand that I'm not being a butt hurt brat, or unreasonable. Just seeing him...I hate it."

"Ally..."

He didn't know what to say to make things better. He didn't even know if he _could_ make it better, so he decided a hug would be okay. He wrapped both arms around the little brunette beside him as best as he could to hold her close. It was a little uncomfortable for him, but when he felt her relax against him, he knew he would stay like that forever if she asked him to.

"He is a piece of literal shit and you didn't deserve that. And I hope you know that I will never do anything like that, Ally. To you or any girl, for that matter." He said, voice so unwaveringly stern it surprised the both of them. "And if you _ever_ need it, I will gladly beat the living shit out of him. You say the word and I'll do it."

She nodded, lips twisting into a tiny smile as she gently laid her head on his chest, seeking comfort in his arms.

"I know. Thank you for...just being here."

They stayed like that until it was time for them to get off the ferris wheel.

"I'm beat," Ally said through a yawn, walking through the crowd by the mini games. "Wanna go to my place and marathon the Jurassic Park movies?"

Austin smirked. "Whoever falls asleep first buys the other breakfast."

"You're _so_ on." She said, mocking him from earlier.

They linked their arms together and walked to his father's truck. He opened the door for her, as always, and drove them home. When they finally sat down to watch the movies, Ally fell asleep within the first ten minutes with her head on Austin's shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair and down her arm while dinosaurs chased humans, admiring how peaceful she looked while she slept. Eventually, he gently laid her on the couch and covered her with a blanket.

He moved to the love-seat with a blanket of his own, falling asleep far before the first movie came to an end.


	7. birthday invitations

_**Alas, the long-awaited update for this fic is finally here LOL. Sorry I suck at updating this, but, well, I lost interest for a while. I know how I want this to end, but it's just hard getting there y'know?**_

 _ **Anyways, hope you enjoy!**_

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Trish DeLaRosa may have an _oh-so impressive_ C average this semester, but she was no idiot.

Austin Moon was going to be her best friend's first boyfriend.

Obviously, the Latina had to like him, whether she wanted to or not. Sure, he was slightly too childish for Trish's liking, a bit of a spaz at times, and maybe even borderline stupid at others, but he's a good guy. He _really, truly_ is. He's kind, funny, thoughtful and quite attentive to Ally's wants and needs, which is extremely important due to her mild anxiety attacks.

(Not to mention that physically, he is just downright godly, what with that sandy hair, ripped arms and perfectly toned abs of his.)

He also did something that the Latina herself struggled with for years; he brought Ally out of her shell despite her mild anxiety. He made it look so easy, so effortless. He'd just look at the brunette with those strong hazel eyes of his and she would gain the courage she needed. He knew when she needed a friendly push and was most definitely not afraid to be the one to give it to her. He also seemed to know when to back off, when she ventured far enough out of her comfort zone and needed familiarity instead.

(Which is where Trish usually got lost, as she was a very pushy and overbearing person.)

Another positive thing about the blonde was that he got along with Dez very well, which has always been important to Ally for some odd, unknown reason. The boys hit it off almost instantly; one inviting the other over to play video games and often hanging out without the girls. Of course not without Austin texting Ally every ten minutes.

That was another thing; they were _always_ together now. If not in person, through text or phone calls or video chats. Trish hardly got any alone time with her bestie these days.

So when Dez asked if they were inviting Austin to their annual Birthday Party Horror Movie Marathon sleepover, Trish tried her hardest to act excited as Ally looked at her for confirmation. She bit back any negativity that almost tumbled from her lips and smiled the best she could.

"Of course! He's part of our little group now, isn't he?" She asked, the slightest bit of irritation laced in her voice. Ally didn't pick up on it, but Dez sure did.

He always does.

That afternoon, as Dez was walking beside Trish on their way home from school, he brought it up.

"Are you okay with Austin?"

His words caught the Latina so off guard that she stopped in her tracks.

"What do you mean?" She finally responded, acting as if she didn't know what her red headed friend meant.

"Come on, Trish. You know what I mean," He frowned. "-do you not like him? Do you have a problem with him?"

She sighed as she began to walk again at a slow pace.

"I don't know.."

He grabbed her elbow and gently pulled her to a stop again.

"You're not being replaced. You know that, don't you?" His voice was gentle, almost hesitant. "If that's what this is about, I mean. Ally just...she really likes him. It's the first guy she's been interested in since Elliot, and you know how much that screwed her up, so try to be understanding."

He was right. They'd both been there to pick up the pieces.

After Elliot tried to take advantage of her, and then lied about it, he totally abandoned her. She'd never been abandoned before. And then that bastard had the audacity to lie about her and watch as she was bullied day after day because of his damn lies.

Her poor little heart was shattered, as one of her best friends (and long-time crush) turned out to be a terrible, horrible person.

"I remember." she uttered.

"So give her some slack," he said, using that same gentle tone and a small smile. "Austin is a good guy who freaking worships the ground she walks on. And he makes her happy."

He paused, ducking his head slightly to look her in the eyes.

"But you're her best friend. You can't be replaced, you gotta know that."

And she did. She was just being childish.

Sighing once more, she nodded and gave her friend a small smile.

"Yeah, I do. I guess I just miss her. I never get any alone time with her. When we are hanging out, she's talking to him through text or calls or whatever."

"Have you talked to her about this? Maybe she doesn't even know she's doing it."

Of course she didn't realize that she was being neglectful. Ally would never purposely do that to Trish. She's a literal Saint.

Why this was just dawning on Trish was a mystery to even herself.

"No..." Trish said, slight guilt lacing her voice.

"Talk to her and then we'll finish this." He said, gesturing for her to walk alongside him again.

He threw an arm around her shoulders in a friendly gesture, and in her upset state of mind, she allowed it.

•••

•

•••

 _Ring. Ring. Ring._

Austin smiled down at his phone as he saw Ally's name appear. Deciding she was more important than Top Gun, he muted the movie and answered his phone.

"Dawson, what the hell are you up this late for?" He questioned, voice light and teasing.

"Well hello to you too," she laughed, leaning back against her headboard. "And it's only eight thirty. What time do you think I go to bed, Austin?"

"I don't know, like, eight?"

He could practically see her rolling her eyes.

"I'm almost sixteen, not sixty."

"Your attraction to floral clothing and love of gardening says otherwise."

He laughed when she just grumbled, knowing she was probably rolling her eyes again. Fondly, of course.

She decided not to argue with him – it never really works, anyways. She always loses.

But only because he always uses that cute little grin that gives her butterflies and then she's all flustered and too distracted to come up with a reasonable argument. Then he smirks in triumph, which goes softer and more tender as he looks at her longer, and his eyes always end up sparkling and she decides that maybe losing an argument isn't the worst thing in the world as long as he keeps looking at her like that.

(Not that she'd ever admit that to anyone.)

"Anyways," she said, getting into a more comfortable position on her bed. "-Trish and Dez want to know if you'd like to join us for our annual Happy Birthday horror movie marathon tomorrow."

"Happy Birthday _what_?"

"On each of our birthdays we have a horror movie marathon. My birthday is thrillers and jump scares, Trish has zombie-slash-gore and Dez's is ghost-slash-demon movies," she explained, and then "-Will you come? Please?"

He smiled, leaning back against his couch as he looked out of the window to his left, in her house's direction. He imagined she was in her room, leaning back against her headboard with the stereo on for background noise, like she always did.

"I don't know, I was kind of already planning on going over to this girl's house..."

"Oh really? Whose this girl?" She asked, playing along as she absentmindedly twirled a lock of her brown hair.

They could sense each other's grins.

"Oh, no one important, just some dork."

He smirked when he heard her gasp in slight annoyance.

"Rude!"

He laughed, switching the phone to his other ear so he could reach for the popcorn on his right. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. You know you're the most important girl in my life, Dawson."

She smiled, butterflies fluttering around in her stomach at his choice of words. Unfortunately, she was reminded that he thinks of her as his best friend, absolutely nothing more, but definitely nothing less.

(But _man, oh, man_ , she wishes they could be more than friends.)

"I know." She finally sighed, hoping she didn't sound disappointed to him. She couldn't let on that she was head over heels for him; no, that could ruin everything. And with her luck, it probably would. It was a risk she just wasn't willing to take.

(For the time being.)

"But yeah, I'm down for a horror movie marathon tomorrow. What time should I show up? Should I bring popcorn or candy?"

Ally laughed, previous thoughts of confusing feelings vanishing in seconds. "Like you're not already going to be here?"

"I actually have to mow the lawn after school tomorrow, Dawson. Not everything I do revolves around you, ya know?" He teased, albeit knowing damn well that most everything he did in recent history did, in fact, revolve around the pretty brunette on the other line.

(Not that he would ever let her know that.)

"Oh, get over yourself, Moon." She replied on a laugh. "Just be here around, say, seven? Trish and Dez will be here around then. They're bringing the movies and soda, I'm ordering pizza, and of course I'll have popcorn cause I know you love it, so if you want to bring some candy or whatever you're welcome to."

"Alright. See you then, Dawson."

"Yeah. See you then."

She grinned as an idea struck. She waited in silence for him to speak.

"Ally?"

More silence.

"Are you gonna hang up or are we gonna do the whole 'no, you hang up first" bullshi-"

"Nope, bye."

She hung up her phone, giggling, and tossed it beside her on her bed.

Her phone immediately chimed multiple times, indicating he was sending consecutive texts.

 _Dawson, I swear to fucking god_

 _stop hanging up on me gdi_

 _oh my god u know I hate that_

 _The next time u hang up on me I'll show up at ur house and I'll attack u with spray cheese._

 _u think I'm joking but I'm not_

She just laughed and shut her phone off. He couldn't be threatening to her if his life depended on it.


End file.
